Mortal Kombat Origins: Invierno
by aztechylian
Summary: Follow the story of a boy with a tragic past who discovered powers that can combine fire and ice into one, and became one of the most lethal Lin Kuei warriors. (Invierno art by Merij Kris)
1. Chapter 1

(Author's Note: This is a story about an original character of mine for the Mortal Kombat universe. The story does not take place in a particular timeline at this time, so please bear with. Enjoy!)

Mortal Kombat Origins: Invierno

Chapter 1

The young boy was sulking in one of the benches of the funeral home, trying to clean his glasses from the tears of his eyes. He was at the funeral for his parents, who just died from a car accident. Their son, Tiago Andrew Zhang, was just thirteen years of age, and he was all alone in the funeral home. There were no other family members in the room for he had no other family. At only thirteen, Tiago Zhang was truly by himself. He sobbed some more as his head was lowered, until he looked up after hearing the door open. He turned to see a man, who looked around the same age as his parents, walk into the funeral parlor. He also looked similar to Tiago's father, but he perished the thought as he turned back to facethe caskets. The mysterious newcomer walked to the caskets, silently offered his condolences, then Tiago saw that he made some type of a bow to his father's corpse that he found peculiar. The stranger then walked to sit on the same row as Tiago, just two seats away. Tiago could see that the man was of Asian descent like his father, but one striking feature of him were his icy blue eyes. They were of the same shade as his late father's, but Tiago never had the opportunity to ask him about it. They both sat silently and solemnly for a few minutes, until Tiago finally had the courage to talk.

"You knew my parents?" He asked.

"So you are their child, then..." the older man answered. "Yes, I knew of your parents. Your father especially..."

"Then who are you?" The young boy asked. The stranger sighed before answering.

"My name is Kuai Liang," he said. "And I am your uncle."

(Alright, that's Chapter 1, guys. Hope y'all liked it and please tell me what you think. =D )


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

One day has passed since the funeral and burial of Tiago Zhang's parents and the discovery of his uncle Kuai Liang, who now has legal custody of the boy for being the last living member of his family. Tiago was in his room laying on his bed, listening to a burned CD on his stereo that his father made for him on his 13th birthday just days ago. He was also clasping on a red ancestral pendant passed down from his mother that he just started wearing. A knock on the door was heard, and in came Kuai.

"You feeling ok, kid?" He asked. The teenaged boy nodded yes. "Well, uh, I have to go out to do some errands," Kuai continued. "You think you'll be ok here by yourself?"

"I'll be fine, Uncle Kuai, sir," Tiago respectfully responded as he sat up from his bed. "I'm a big kid. I can handle it," he lightly half-smiled.

"Well, I should be back by the evening. There's food for you to heat up if you get hungry," Kuai said as he left to go do his errands.

Tiago then showered and dressed and ate a bowl of cereal while watching Saturday morning cartoons to start his day. He thought about going bike riding through his neighborhood, even going through the San Antonio River a bit.

"Maybe that's what I need right now, some exercise and fresh air," Tiago thought. "I won't be too long anyways. Uncle Kuai will probably be still doing his errands."

Tiago grabbed the house keys and his bicycle and helmet and rode off through the streets of Olmos Park, a quaint community immediately north of the bustling Downtown district of San Antonio, Texas. He then decided to travel north to the Olmos Basin Park. Tiago biked through the wooded trail of the more remote part of the large park when he hit the brakes. What caught his eye was an ancient abandoned church office of the Olmos Creek. The church was fenced off with "No Trespassing" signs dotted throughout.

"Could this be another of the San Antonio Missions?" Tiago thought.

He decided to investigate as he climbed up the fence and walked towards the long-forgotten cathedral. The teenager knocked on the door before entering. Interestingly enough, despite the exterior being in a state of decay, the interior was well-preserved. The intricate stained glass windows, some shattered, allowed some lighting inside.

"Amazing..." Tiago whispered as he was observing the designs.

He walked towards the altar when his shoes stepped on a certain brick. The boy only had enough reaction time to gasp as the floor beneath him collapsed, taking him with it.

A minute passed as Tiago groaned from the impact.

"Where am I?" He asked as he got up. Standing before him was a torch-lit corridor. "How could these flames still be burning?" He asked in astonishment as he walked down the passageway.

It led him to a small, yet grand shrine. But Tiago knew that it was not a Catholic shrine, for the centerpiece of the room was a giant statue. Tiago knew from mythology books that the statue was of Xiuhtecuhtli, the Aztec God of Fire.

"Why would all of this be under a Catholic church?" The young boy wondered.

He walked to the altar of the shrine. He noticed a hole on the center of its top. He made a startling discovery; the hole is shaped exactly like the red medallion Tiago was wearing passed down from his mother.

"Could this pendant be somehow connected to all of this? What exactly does this mean?" Tiago wondered as he removed the pendant from his neck. He then placed it carefully on the hallowed part. All of the flames in the chamber blew out as that happened. "Wha- what's going on?" The timid Tiago quivered from the pitch black that surrounded him. But it did not last long, for the eyes of the statue glowed red.

"You are worthy..." the statue of the Aztec Fire God boldly proclaimed as a move of his finger enraged the flames of the torches in the shrine. Another finger turned all the flames into a single beam that shot inside Tiago's body.

The boy dropped to his knees on the floor as he was grunting and wincing in pain. The fire beam went deep inside Tiago's body, down to a molecular level. But it unexpectedly collided with a beam of ice that appeared in an instant. Rather than cancelling each other out, the fire and ice beams combined into a strange new energy that was filling inside the body and moved to the hands. Tiago yelled out a loud and agonizing scream as he shot out the energy from his hands. The blast knocked the glasses out of the thirteen year old, and one wall of the shrine was now covered in this combined ice and fire. Tiago was not able to witness this astonishing phenomenon, for the blast from his new powers also knocked him unconscious.

(Alright. Big thanks to Sicarius Void for reviewing my story. Glad you like it so far, and I hope y'all do, too. Please keep the reviews and comments going!)


	3. Chapter 3

"Tiago, I'm home! I brought you a fajita plate from your favorite restaurant on the Riverwalk," Kuai Liang yelled as he stepped inside the house. The teenaged boy woke up from the sound of his uncle. He nearly jumped out from his bed from seeing his surroundings.

"How... how am I back in my room?" He asked. He then noticed that he was seeing things very clearly, but he touched his face and found no glasses on them.

"How can this be?" He was in bewilderment. He walked to the mirror in his room and made the most surprising discovery yet; not only can he see in perfect vision without any eyewear, but that his eyes were no longer the natural brown he was born with. Instead, his left eye was a fiery red, like the red of the eyes of Xiuhtecuhtli, while his right eye was now icy blue, the same shade as his father's and uncle's. The boy gasped in shock. He was at a loss for words.

"Tiago, are you coming down or not?" He heard Kuai. Tiago gulped. "... coming." He hesitantly replied. He then walked nervously to the dining room. Kuai saw that Tiago looked quote different than from earlier today. He knew what it meant and simply remained calm as he asked, "What happened to you, son?"

"I, I don't know..." he then told Kuai what he remembered from earlier today. Tiago was nearly in tears when he asked, "Uncle Kuai, what does this mean?" Kuai got up from eating the last of his Mexican Plate before answering, "It means you are ready..."

"Ready for what?" His nephew asked.

"Ready to be a Lin Kuei!" He boldly clarified.

"Lin... Kuei?" Tiago was confused.

"Yes, the warrior clan that I belong to, as did your father," Kuai Liang replied. The teenager was trying to process all of this new information. "Everything will make sense later, Tiago. But right now, you need to pack whatever you can carry, because we are taking off to Arctika tonight!" Kuai stated. Tiago was dumbfounded as he dashed to his room, which also startled him.

"How did I get here so fast?" He thought. But he started to pack his clothes, guitar, and other of his valuable belongings. "I lose my parents, met a man whom I never met before who ends up being my uncle, and now I have to leave the place I called home?" He cried as he continued packing. His Uncle Kuai heard him, and he dashed to Tiago's room, though he was slightly slower than Tiago.

"I know this is all too much and too soon for you, dear nephew," he said as he hugged the young boy. "But please understand why I am doing this. You are not safe here. If someone sees you use your powers, who knows what could happen? And what if you cannot control your powers? If you come with me to the Lin Kuei Temple, you will be safe. I'll watch over you to ensure that. And I will personally train you so that you can efficiently control your new powers."

He then pointed Tiago to his mirror to face his new reflection. "Embrace who you are now, Tiago Andrew Zhang. You now have the unique ability to combine ice and fire into one. Follow in your father and mine own's footsteps, and not only will you be well-protected, but you will also be a feared, but respectable warrior." Tiago processed these words. "Well, maybe it'll make things better for me, and that's what I desperately need right now..." He then turned to Kuai, with a small smile. "Ok, Uncle Kuai, I'll follow you!" He stated.

Kuai helped Tiago pack the last of his belongings into the car. He started the engine and drove out, while Tiago tearfully waved goodbye to his childhood home. He looked back and waved goodbye to the San Antonio skyline. He tried to hold back his tears as they drove past the cemetery where his parents were buried.

"I'll be back, Mom and Dad. I promise..." he boldly proclaimed in his head. Kuai then got on the freeway and drove to Government Canyon State Natural Area, just minutes north of the city. It was the wee hours of the night and the park was closed, yet the gates were still open, and there were no park guards to stop them as they drove in. Kuai parked the car and carried most of Tiago's luggage as they hiked to a secluded area of the state park.

"Uncle, why are we here?" The teenaged boy asked.

"You'll see..." he chuckled back. He then raised his arms, and out of nowhere, a large blue and gusty cloud with a hole appeared before them. "This portal is a direct route to the Lin Kuei Temple," Kuai Liang explained. "And we better hurry before people see this!" Tiago gulped and grabbed his uncle's hand for safety, and they both stepped through the portal.

(Alright, now we're gonna get to the part where Tiago officially becomes a Lin Kuei and how he gets his codename "Invierno". Be sure to stay tuned to that, and as always, your feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you and hope you liked Chapter 3!)


End file.
